Publications by authors named "Abderrahman Laamrani El Idrissi"
Background: This is the first study in Morocco to estimate snail infection rates at the last historic transmission sites of schistosomiasis, known to be free from new infection among humans since 2004. Screening of large numbers of snails for infection is one way to confirm that Schistosoma haematobium transmission has stopped and does not resurge.
Methods: A total of 2703 Bulinus truncatus snails were collected from 24 snail habitats in five provinces of Morocco: Errachidia, El Kelaa des Sraghna, Tata, Beni Mellal, and Chtouka Ait Baha.
Article Synopsis
- The Moroccan Health Ministry initiated a campaign to eliminate schistosomiasis in 1994, successfully interrupting disease transmission nationally by 2005-2009, with only a few remaining cases.
- A new systematic study was conducted to assess disease transmission in areas that previously had high rates of schistosomiasis by analyzing serum samples from 2,382 children born after the last local cases.
- The study found no specific antibodies against Schistosoma haematobium in any of the serum samples, indicating either a very low transmission rate or complete interruption of the disease in these areas.